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Home , Alister Jack, Alun Cairns, Amber Rudd, Andrea Leadsom, Andrew Murrison, Ben Wallace (politician)

August 2019 ////

Westminster Watch

Westminster update from the BVCA WESTMINSTER UPDATE FROM THE BVCA

This is the thirteenth update shedding light on what catches the eye in and around Westminster and its satellite of advisers, think tanks and hangers on and will be the first edition to feature the premiership of , the 77th Prime Minister of the UK.

Some of this may have been captured in the headlines and other stuff. Views my own but an acknowledgement Lisa Hayley-Jones that everyone is working hard in a challenging political Director, Political and environment and an extremely bad-tempered world… Business Relations and one last thing, it’s going to be a very, very intense BVCA political summer.

Key Political Dates

Parliamentary Holidays The House of Commons will return on 3 September.

Potential No Confidence Vote As for potential no-confidence vote timing, Graeme Cowie, a House of Commons Library Clerk, calculates that the statutory timetable for an early general election, Thursday 24 October, would require a vote of no confidence to be debated no later than Tuesday 3 September — the first day back from summer recess. More on this later…

G7 Summit 24-26 August It will be on the beautiful beaches of the French Basque coast that Boris Johnson faces his first moment of truth on . The seaside town of Biarritz hosts the G7 summit between 24-26 August, the first major international meeting for the new Prime Minister. The Summit will be attended by President Macron, Chancellor Merkel and Donald Tusk, and will be a key moment if there is to be any Brexit agreement by 31 October.

Westminster Watch //// 2 WESTMINSTER UPDATE FROM THE BVCA

Trump and Boris 17-30 September Boris and Trump could also meet at the UN general assembly meeting September. The governments of France, Germany, Britain, Italy, Japan, Canada and the United States allow plenty of time for intensive bilateral talks and these will be crucial for Mr Johnson. European governments will watch to gauge his chemistry with President Trump, who has used past G7 meetings to threaten the EU with trade sanctions. Of course there is also that invitation to the White House for the new Prime Minister…

EU Summit October Boris Johnson will attend a summit of EU leaders on 17-18 October.

New Government Emergency Budget A no-deal emergency budget has been pencilled in for the week of 7 October.

September The Government will conduct a one-year “fast-tracked” Spending Review. Comprehensive Spending Reviews (CSRs) typically set out Whitehall department expenditure over a two or three year period. Chancellor has said a shorter spending round would provide “financial certainty” for departments as well as “clear the ground ahead of Brexit.”

Latest Westminister Polling

Westminster Watch //// 3 WESTMINSTER UPDATE FROM THE BVCA

The new Prime Minister

Boris Facts

• 77th Prime Minister • 14th Prime Minister to serve the Queen • 20th Prime Minister to have attended University • 20th to have attended Eaton • 2nd to have been born outside the UK • Smallest parliamentary majority in his Uxbridge seat compared to other PM’s • Johnson lost a seat in a by-election (Brecon and Radnorshire) faster than any PM since Herbert Henry Asquith in 1908

Westminster Watch //// 4 WESTMINSTER UPDATE FROM THE BVCA

Boris Johnson’s first 100 Days His first 100 days will make or break Boris — which is what makes his premiership unlike any other in recent times. In his favour is his ability to rally support in the country; against him, the realities of a . It’s already clear that Boris Johnson intends to be an unconventional Prime Minister. This is going to be the Boris Johnson show. Significantly, his No. 10 will be very different from that of his predecessors: he has filled No. 10 with veterans of the campaign and City Hall.

There is a strong Vote Leave streak running through his cabinet, too (a full ministerial list of appointments features later on in this edition). , a stalwart of that campaign, becomes and . , who sat around May’s cabinet table to support Leave, is . , who led the campaign with Boris, is now in charge of no-deal planning. The new Chancellor, Sajid Javid, may have backed Remain in 2016 but he is more convinced than the institutional Treasury that the government can do things to offset the effects of no deal. Expect his Budget this autumn to be the most radical for many years.

His decision to appoint to his Downing Street staff suggests that he has now decided on a course and will stick to it. Cummings’ appointment means Boris plans to get things done, even if that means upsetting the civil service and others in the wider Conservative party. Cummings’ role is to make sure that no deal is a logistically and politically credible option, David Frost, Boris’s EU adviser, is in post to ensure that the deal proposed is one that has a realistic chance of being agreed.

The challenge for the new No. 10 team is working within the current system. Without an election – and an election before Britain has legally left the EU would be extremely high risk but there’s no changing the parliamentary arithmetic – the new Prime Minister will have to find ways to get his measures through this hung parliament.

As with during her tenure at No. 10, Brexit will be the defining issue. Failure to meet this deadline could destroy Boris (and his party). By contrast, if Boris can get a deal with the EU in time and secure parliament’s support for it, then he will be master of all he surveys. The question then will become when, not whether, he will call an early election.

Non-Brexit Domestic Agenda Johnson has already unveiled a blitzkrieg of domestic policies to widen his premiership away from just Brexit. They include an immediate insurance plan to tackle the spiralling cost of social care, a major overhaul of school funding, more police, moves to turbo-charge business in the regions and to be the most ‘pro-business PM ever.’

A speech held in bore all the hallmarks of an election pitch to disillusioned Leavers in Labour areas; he pledged a £3.6 billion fund for deprived towns, a new Manchester-to- rail line and major investment in buses, and broadband, and to increase the number of regional Mayors and their powers.

The new Prime Minister wants to use the ‘One Nation’ domestic blitzkrieg to build support for his new administration from across the bitterly divided Conservative party, as well as draw a sharp contrast with Mrs May’s three years in No. 10, which were characterised by arguments and delays.

One Boris confidante said, “Boris wants to establish as soon as possible that he’s about more than Brexit.’’

Westminster Watch //// 5 WESTMINSTER UPDATE FROM THE BVCA

No. 10 Team Boris Chief of Staffs: Sir Edward Lister, Dominic Cummings Deputies: Ben Gascoigne, Liam Booth-Smith and Communications Director: Press Secretary: Department Press Secretary: Lucia Hodgson No. 10 Policy: Operations: Shelley Williams-Walker Policy team: James Starkie, Nikki da Costa EU adviser: David Frost

New Ministerial Line up

Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP

HM Treasury Chancellor of the Exchequer: Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP Chief Secretary to the Treasury: Rt Hon MP Financial Secretary to the Treasury: MP Economic Secretary to the Treasury: MP Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury: Simon Clarke MP

Foreign and Commonwealth Office Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, and First Secretary of State: Rt Hon Dominic Raab MP for Europe and the Americas: Rt Hon MP Minister of State for the Middle East and North : Rt Hon Dr MP (jointly with the Department for International Development) Minister of State for Africa: MP (jointly with the Department for International Development) Minister of State for the UN and South Asia at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office: Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Asia and the Pacific: MP

Home Office Secretary of State for the Home Department: Rt Hon Priti Patel MP Minister of State: Rt Hon MP Minister of State: MP Minister of State: Baroness Williams of Trafford (jointly with the Department for Work and Pensions (Minister for Equalities) Parliamentary Under Secretary of State: MP (jointly with the Department for Work and Pensions (Minister for Women) Parliamentary Under Secretary of State: MP

Westminster Watch //// 6 WESTMINSTER UPDATE FROM THE BVCA

Cabinet Office Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster: Rt Hon Michael Gove MP , and Minister for the : Rt Hon CBE MP Minister of State: Rt Hon MP (jointly with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government) Parliamentary Secretary: MP Parliamentary Secretary: Kevin Foster MP (jointly with the Office; and Assistant Government Whip (paid) Parliamentary Secretary: MP Parliamentary Secretary: Johnny Mercer MP (jointly with the Ministry of Defence)

Ministry of Justice (paid), and Secretary of State for Justice: Rt Hon Buckland QC MP Minister of State: QC MP Parliamentary Under Secretary of State: MP Parliamentary Under Secretary of State: MP

Department for Exiting the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union: Rt Hon MP Minister of State: Lord Callanan Parliamentary Under Secretary of State: MP

Ministry of Defence Secretary of State for Defence: Rt Hon MP Minister of State for the Armed Forces: Rt Hon Mark Lancaster TD MP Minister of State: Baroness Goldie Parliamentary Under Secretary of State: Anne:Marie Trevelyan MP Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Defence People and Veterans: Johnny Mercer MP (jointly with the Cabinet Office)

Department of Health and Social Care Secretary of State for Health and Social Care: Rt Hon MP Minister of State: MP Minister of State: MP Parliamentary Under Secretary of State: MP Parliamentary Under Secretary of State: MP Parliamentary Under Secretary of State: Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Rt Hon MP Minister of State: Rt Hon MP Minister of State: Rt Hon MP (jointly with the ) Parliamentary Under Secretary of State: MP Parliamentary Under Secretary of State: MP Parliamentary Under Secretary of State: Lord Duncan of Springbank (jointly with the Northern Office)

Westminster Watch //// 7 WESTMINSTER UPDATE FROM THE BVCA

Department for International Trade Secretary of State for International Trade, and President of the Board of Trade Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss MP Minister of State: MP Parliamentary Under Secretary of State: Graham Stuart MP

Department for Work and Pensions Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, and Minister for Women and Equalities Rt Hon MP Minister of State for Disabled People, Work and Health : MP Parliamentary Under Secretary of State: MP Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Pensions and Financial Inclusion: Guy Opperman MP Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Family Support, Housing and Child Maintenance Minister: MP Parliamentary Under Secretary of State: Baroness Stedman: Scott OBE Minister of State (Minister for Equalities): Baroness Williams of Trafford (jointly with the ) Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Women): Victoria Atkins MP (jointly with the Home Office)

Department for Education Secretary of State for Education: Rt Hon CBE MP Minister of State: Rt Hon Jo Johnson MP (jointly with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) Minister of State for School Standards: Rt Hon MP Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Children and Families: MP Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for School System: Lord Agnew of Oulton DL

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Rt Hon MP Minister of State: Dr Therese Coffey MP Minister of State: MP Parliamentary Under Secretary of State: MP (jointly with the Department for International Development) Parliamentary Under Secretary of State: Lord Gardiner of Kimble

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government: Rt Hon MP Minister of State: Rt Hon Esther McVey MP Minister of State: Rt Hon Jake Berry MP (jointly with the Cabinet Office) Parliamentary Under Secretary of State: MP Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Faith and Communities: Viscount Younger of Leckie

Department for Transport Secretary of State for Transport: Rt Hon MP Minister of State: Chris Heaton:Harris MP Minister of State: George Freeman MP Parliamentary Under Secretary of State: Nusrat Ghani MP (and Government Whip (paid) Parliamentary Under Secretary of State: MP Parliamentary Under Secretary of State: Baroness Vere of Norbiton

Westminster Watch //// 8 WESTMINSTER UPDATE FROM THE BVCA

Northern Ireland Office Secretary of State for : Rt Hon Julian Smith MP Minister of State: Rt Hon MP (and Minister for ) Parliamentary Under Secretary of State: MP (jointly with Office) Parliamentary Under Secretary of State: Lord Duncan of Springbank (jointly with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)

Scotland Office Secretary of State for Scotland: Rt Hon MP Parliamentary Under Secretary of State: MP (and a Government Whip) Parliamentary Under Secretary of State: Robin Walker MP (jointly with the )

Wales Office Secretary of State for Wales: Rt Hon MP Parliamentary Under Secretary of State: Kevin Foster MP (jointly with the Cabinet Office; and Assistant Government Whip (paid))

Office of the Leader of the , , and Leader of the House of Lords Rt Hon Baroness Evans of Bowes Park Minister of State (Deputy Leader of the House of Lords): Rt Hon Earl Howe

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Rt Hon MP Minister of State for Sport, Media and the Creative Industries: MP Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Arts, Heritage and Tourism: MP Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Digital and Broadband: MP Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Civil Society and DCMS Lords: Baroness Barran MBE

Department for International Development Secretary of State for International Development: Rt Hon MP Minister of State: Rt Hon Dr Andrew Murrison MP (jointly with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office) Minister of State: Andrew Stephenson MP (jointly with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office) Parliamentary Under Secretary of State: Zac Goldsmith MP (jointly with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) Parliamentary Under Secretary of State: Baroness Sugg CBE

Minister without Portfolio Minister without Portfolio (and Conservative Party Chair): MP

Office of the Leader of the House of Commons Lord President of the Council, and Leader of the House of Commons Rt Hon Jacob Rees:Mogg MP

Westminster Watch //// 9 WESTMINSTER UPDATE FROM THE BVCA

Whips: House of Commons Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Chief Whip) Rt Hon Mark Spencer MP Treasurer of HM Household (Deputy Chief Whip) MP Comptroller of HM Household (Government Whip) MP Vice Chamberlain of HM Household (Government Whip) MP

Junior Lords of the Treasury Government Whip (Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury): MP Government Whip (Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury): MP Government Whip (Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury): MP Government Whip (Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury): MP Government Whip (Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury): Nusrat Ghani MP (and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the ) Government Whip (Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury): Colin Clark MP (and a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Scotland Office)

Assistant Whips (Commons) Assistant Government Whip: Kevin Foster MP (and Parliamentary Secretary at the Cabinet Office and the Wales Office) Assistant Government Whip: MP Assistant Government Whip: James Morris MP Assistant Government Whip: MP Assistant Government Whip: MP Assistant Government Whip: Marcus Jones MP Assistant Government Whip: Iain Stewart MP

Whips: House of Lords Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms (Lords Chief Whip) Lord Ashton of Hyde Captain of The Queen’s Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (Deputy Chief Whip) Earl of Courtown

Baronesses and Lords in Waiting Baroness in Waiting: Baroness Berridge of the Vale of Catmose Baroness in Waiting: Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Waldrist Lord in Waiting: Rt Hon Lord Young of Cookham CH Lord in Waiting: Lord Bethell of Romford

Law Officers Attorney General: Rt Hon Geoffrey Cox QC MP Solicitor General: Michael Ellis MP HM Advocate General for Scotland and Ministry of Justice spokesperson for the Lords Rt Hon Lord Keen of Elie QC

Westminster Watch //// 10 WESTMINSTER UPDATE FROM THE BVCA

Profile of the new BEIS Secretary of State

Rt Hon Andrea Leadsom is the new Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. One of the leading voices in the successful Vote Leave campaign during the run-up to the EU Referendum, Leadsom put herself forward as a contender for leadership of the Conservative Party in 2016 after the resignation of .

Leadsom made it to the final ballot but bowed out of the after strong criticism in favour of her opponent, Theresa May. She went on to be appointed Environment Secretary in May’s first Cabinet. Following the June 2017 General Election, she became Leader of the House of Commons. She resigned in May 2019 in opposition to Theresa May’s Brexit deal. After briefly running in the 2019 Conservative leadership race, only to be eliminated in the first round, Leadsom was made Business Secretary by Boris Johnson in July 2019.

Leadsom first became a minister in 2014 when she was promoted to the role of Economic Secretary to the Treasury. She had previously sat on the Conservative Parliamentary Advisory Board where she had responsibility for the public services and family brief.

Following the Conservatives’ 2015 General Election victory, she was appointed Minister of State at the Department for Energy and Climate Change.

Before her appointment as a Minister, Leadsom served as the only woman to serve on the Treasury Select Committee between 2010 and 2014. During this time, she was particularly prominent for her role in grilling bankers about the mismanagement of risk in the wake of the . She also served on the Public Accounts Committee between 2014 and 2015.

While Leadsom attempted to cite her experience in finance and her work as Treasury Minister during her leadership campaign, doubts were cast over the verifiability of her claims. This culminated in a forensic media analysis of her CV, with claims that she had exaggerated some of her previous roles and responsibilities.

Andrea Leadsom started the “Too Much, Too Young” campaign in 2011, arguing that young children were being exposed to inappropriately explicit images through sex education and stressing the need for education to be age appropriate.

She has previously chaired the APPG on Sure Starts, APPG on the 1001 Critical Days (between conception and the age of 2) and the APPG for European reform. She also founded the Project in Parliament, which aimed to work towards establishing a new relationship for Britain within the EU.

Westminster Watch //// 11 WESTMINSTER UPDATE FROM THE BVCA

Machinery of Government Update

Boris Johnson announced a slimming-down of government business — by scrapping two thirds of the cabinet committees that existed under Theresa May to formulate policy. The size of others has been reduced, with 16 cabinet ministers excluded from the government’s no-deal planning committee. The Whitehall reorganisation also includes six-member Brexit “”.

Michael Gove’s “operational committee” will meet on a daily basis to commission work from departments, summon officials and issue orders. They will be given just 24 hours to deliver on the orders. This replaces a chaotic Brexit decision-making process under May whereby the Brexit department was side-lined from negotiations, three departments led no-deal preparations

New Cabinet Committees

• Domestic Affairs & the Union (DAU) Committee • EU Exit Operations (XO) Committee • EU Exit Strategy (XS) Committee • EU Exit, Economy and Trade (XET) Committee • National Security Council • Parliamentary Business and Legislation Committee

Treasury Select Committee Chair Vacancy The Treasury Select Committee is one of the most powerful and influential select committees. For the last 2 years former Education Secretary Nicky Morgan chaired the committee before her recent promotion as Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. This is one of the biggest jobs open to a backbench Conservative MP. Among the highest profile chairs of the committee was , who established a fearsome reputation as an interrogator of senior bankers after the 2008 financial crash and for his subsequent role in proposing reforms.

So who is in the running? Over the last few weeks several former Cabinet Ministers have declared their intention to run for the job, as they have extra time of their hands. These include former BEIS Secretary Greg Clarke MP. Former Education Secretary , former Brexit Minister , former , and , former trade minister, have also thrown their hats in the ring.

The Treasury Committee is one of the 19 Select Committees related to Government Departments. The Committee chooses its own subjects of inquiry. Depending on the subject, external deadlines, and the amount of oral evidence the Committee decides to take, an inquiry may last for several months and give rise to a report to the House; other inquiries may simply consist of a single day’s oral evidence which the Committee may publish without making a report.

Candidates for Chair have the option of providing a 500 word supporting statement for their candidacy. Nominations and elections are due to be held in mid-September after the House returns from the summer recess.

Westminster Watch //// 12 WESTMINSTER UPDATE FROM THE BVCA

Other Conservative Party news , the MP for Aberconwy, will stand down at the next election.

Whip Suspended , MP for Dover, has been charged with three counts of sexual assault against two women. This means the Conservative/DUP working majority has fallen to just one. Elphicke will sit as an independent MP but has vowed to vote with the Government.

New Prime Minister and a possible early General Election Timetable The new Prime Minister will lead a minority government. With the recent by-election reducing the Government’s majority to one, there is much speculation about the new government having the confidence of the House of Commons, and the possibility of Labour tabling a motion of no confidence to test this. If this does happen, and a no confidence motion passes, the UK may then be heading for an early general election under the provisions of the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011. The next scheduled general election is not due until 5 May 2022.

The following gives an example of how a timetable might operate for an early general election. Scenario 1 gives an indicative timetable if MPs vote on a motion of no confidence after summer recess.

Scenario 1: The House of Commons passes a motion of no confidence after summer. If MPs wanted to debate a statutory motion of no confidence that day, the Leader of the Opposition would have to table the motion before the House rises for summer recess. The vote would then be expected to take place in the afternoon or evening of Tuesday 3 September – the first day back after recess. If that motion passed, a 14-calendar day statutory period under the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 would begin at midnight.

If, by the end of Tuesday 17 September no subsequent ‘motion of confidence’ had been passed in Her Majesty’s Government, an early general election would be triggered.

Westminster Watch //// 13 WESTMINSTER UPDATE FROM THE BVCA

The date of an early election is set by Crown proclamation. The Prime Minister advises the Queen what the date should be. In this case, that proclamation could be made no earlier than Wednesday 18 September.

Parliament cannot be dissolved until after the proclamation is made. Dissolution must happen at the beginning of the 25th working day before polling day. The earliest Parliament could be dissolved would be Thursday 19 September, which would mean a polling day of Thursday 24 October had been set by proclamation.

Unless Article 50 is extended again, the UK unilaterally revokes Article 50, or a deal has been ratified by the UK and the EU, the UK leaves the EU by automatic operation of law at 11pm on 31 October 2019. The last potential Thursday polling day before exit day is 24 October.

It is possible under Scenario 1 that an election could take place later than Thursday 24 October but before 31 October. This might happen if a vote of no confidence is passed later in the first week of September, or if dissolution is delayed by a few days to allow for a period of “wash-up.”

Does an election have to happen if a no confidence motion passes? Passing a motion of no confidence in the Government does not automatically trigger a general election. If the incumbent Government ‘regains’ the confidence of the House within the 14-day period, or a new government is formed, the House could then pass a ’motion of confidence’. If this second motion is in time, an early election does not take place.

Could a general election take place earlier? It can if at least 434 MPs (representing 2/3 of the total number of seats in the House of Commons) vote in favour of an early general election. The Crown does not have to wait 14 days before making a proclamation to set an early election date. However, the date of dissolution must still be no earlier than the day after the Crown proclamation it is made. That proclamation can only be made once the House has adopted the resolution for an early general election.

Why have we assumed an election would take place on a Thursday? There is no legal requirement for early general elections to take place on a Thursday. By default, elections held at the end of a five-year session take place on the first Thursday in May of the relevant year. The last time a general election was held on a day other than a Thursday in the UK was Tuesday 27 October 1931.

Westminster Watch //// 14 WESTMINSTER UPDATE FROM THE BVCA

Labour Land

Labour to Back Remain in Second Brexit Referendum The Labour Party would campaign to Remain in the EU against any Brexit plans which were drawn up by the new Prime Minister. After months of ambiguity on the party’s Brexit position, Labour Leader has said he had “closed Labour’s Brexit consultation” with a “settled position” agreed at shadow cabinet - the outcome of which was that the party would campaign for Remain if there was a second referendum.

McDonnell Targets Water Companies Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell has threatened to target water companies which set up offshore accounts to avoid paying tax, should Labour come to power. McDonnell stated that a Labour government would find a way to bring back assets should investors attempt to move them offshore.

Power-up the North Jeremy Corbyn has promised billions of pounds of investment and resources to Power-up the North as part of Labour’s Green Industrial Revolution. He has said Labour will superpower a new industrial revolution for the north with a record investment blitz. The Labour leader highlights Labour’s commitment to building Crossrail for the North from to Hull and up to the North East, creating Regional Development Banks to support small and medium sized businesses, a National Education Service and more housing. He also confirmed Labour’s proposal to base its new National Transformation Fund unit in the North. Labour’s £250 billion National Transformation Fund pledges to improve our transport, energy and digital infrastructure.

In-Work Poverty John McDonnell has said he would end in-work poverty within Labour’s first and prepared to outline plans to safeguard free public services, strengthen the benefit support system and create “a structurally different” economy to lift workers out of poverty. Labour’s proposals include a new industrial strategy, regional public banks, stronger trade union rights and a higher minimum wage.

Be Better on Climate Change The Labour Party are set to be pushed to adopt more hard-line positions on dealing with climate change issues during its autumn conference, as over 50 constituency Labour parties (CLPs) have sign a petition calling for a 2030 zero carbon emission target.

Reshuffle There could be a shadow Cabinet reshuffle to coincide with the new-look Conservative Cabinet. This is likely to be timed for parliament’s return in September. Corbyn is keen to promote some new faces into his top team, with Shadow Solicitor General Nick Thomas-Symonds and Shadow Labour Minister Laura Pidcock among those tipped to get promotion. ’s temporary move into the shadow Cabinet would also be made permanent.

Westminster Watch //// 15 WESTMINSTER UPDATE FROM THE BVCA

Standing Down A number of Labour MPs will not be seeking re-election at the next general election (whenever that is). These include:

Kate Hoey Stephen Pound Stephen Twigg Jim Fitzpatrick Ronnie Campbell Gloria De Piero Geoffrey Robinson Teresa Pearce Roberta Blackman-Woods

Veteran MP Frank Field, who resigned the Labour whip last year, is to stand for a new party at the next General Election. Field, 77, who has been MP for Birkenhead for 40 years, said he would defend his seat as the Birkenhead Social Justice Party candidate.

Sacking of Hayter Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town was sacked as a shadow Brexit minister after comparing Jeremy Corbyn’s “bunker mentality” to Hitler’s last days. However, she remains as deputy leader in the Lords because the role is elected directly by the party’s peers — who are in open revolt against Corbyn over the crisis engulfing Labour.

O’Mara to Resign as MP Independent MP, Jared O’Mara, formerly a Labour MP, is set to resign from Parliament following a string of controversies which led to his ejection from the Labour Party. He said he will hand in his resignation when Parliament came back from recess, triggering a by-election in Hallam, ’s former parliamentary seat.

Westminster Watch //// 16 WESTMINSTER UPDATE FROM THE BVCA

Liberal Democrats

With a bigger majority than anticipated, is the new leader of the Liberal Democrats and the first woman to hold that position. She secured 47,900 votes, with finishing second with 28,021 votes. She succeeds outgoing leader Sir who announced his resignation in May, shortly after the party’s strong showing in the local elections. The Liberal Democrats currently have 13 MPs in the House of Commons.

The party has gained 8,000 new members since Swinson became leader, taking its total to 115,000. Some political insiders believe there is a remote chance that Swinson, could end up in No. 10, given our febrile age.

Team Jo The new Lib Dem leader has appointed Lib Dem peer and former Ashdown adviser Olly Grender as her interim chief of staff. Swinson’s current adviser Sara Mosavi will also take a key role in the new-look leader’s office.

By-election Win New Liberal Democrat MP Jane Dodds will sit in the House of Commons for the constituency of Brecon and Radnorshire having won the election by 1,425,overturning a Conservative majority of 8,038. It is important to note that the Liberal Democrats won the seat while in a ‘Remain alliance’ with the Greens and , both of which did not run a candidate, instead pushing support to Ms Dodds. The loss of the seat is a blow to the Government as their wafer-thin majority has now been cut by one.

The results in percentage of vote-share in descending order is as follows: Liberal Democrats - 43.5% Conservatives - 39% Brexit Party - 10.5% Labour - 5.3% Other - 1% UKIP - 0.8% DUP

The Democratic Unionist Party has said that it is prepared to work closely with the Government to help mitigate the impacts of a no-deal Brexit. The announcement follows a report for the Northern Irish Department for the Economy that warned that 40,000 jobs could be put at risk in the event of no-deal.

Westminster Watch //// 17 WESTMINSTER UPDATE FROM THE BVCA

The Independents

Four of the rebel MPs who quit their parties to form Group / TIG / Change UK have set up yet another new grouping. , , and Angela Smith are now members of “The Independents,” a parliamentary cooperative holding shared values. They are keen for other independent MPs to join their non-party and have already signed up former Labour MP John Woodcock.

BVCA Engagement at the Party Conferences

The autumn party conferences provide a unique setting to debate the key political questions and policy issues of the day, and will be a lively setting during any last minute . BVCA engagement at the 2019 conferences reflects the challenging political landscape on the UK’s departure from the EU and the importance of business to engage in the policy debate and business dialogue across the political spectrum. Details are as follows:

Westminster Watch //// 18 WESTMINSTER UPDATE FROM THE BVCA

That’s all from me. I’ll be back with new polling and updates in September when Parliament returns. It’s going to be a political roller coaster.

Lisa Hayley-Jones Director, Political and Business Relations, BVCA

Westminster Watch //// 19